Mental Mapping explores how internal networks, such as memory, perception, and emotion, shape the way we experience and navigate the world. This exhibition delves into the intersections of neuroscience, creativity, and visual storytelling.

Reception: April 24, 2025, 6:30-8:30 PM

Artist Talk: June 10, 2025, 6-8 PM

Location: The Somerville Armory
191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA

Admission is free.

Joshua Sariñana presented his research project—Utilizing Large Language Models and Art to Represent Cognitive Networks—at the Harvard Psychiatry Research Day, exploring how spatial cognition influences identity across physical, social, and digital environments. Using large language models (LLMs) to analyze qualitative interviews, he examined how individuals navigate interconnected spaces, shaping their sense of belonging and adaptation.

A few images from my series Mental Mapping were selected for Point of View, the first community zine published by Photoworks SF. The zine features work from over 100 photographers and highlights a wide range of visual perspectives.

A piece from my Mental Mapping project, Jessica TranVo, was selected for inclusion in the juried exhibition {a}temporal, presented by the Cambridge Art Association at the Kathryn Schultz Gallery.

In his presentation at the Museum of Science’s Youth Internship Program, Joshua Sariñana presents Exploring Connections, discussing how neuroscience, artificial intelligence (AI), and art interact, focusing on the hidden networks that shape our internal and external worlds. He highlights the parallels between brain function and AI and the roles of motivation and experience in shaping our cognition and behavior. Explored are how art and AI can reveal hidden patterns and challenge conventional perceptions.

From December 6, 2021, to February 28, 2022, The Poetry of Science was exhibited at MIT’s Rotch Gallery, presenting a dynamic blend of poetry and photography that highlights the experiences and contributions of scientists of color. Directed by Joshua Sariñana, PhD, this multimedia project merges art and science to challenge traditional narratives and foster positive associations between communities of color and the sciences. Each work pairs portraits of scientists, visually embedded into natural landscapes, with poetry that explores their research, motivations, and lives.

The Poetry of Science interview on GBH, hosted by Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, features Joshua Sariñana and Makinde Ogunnaike discussing their interdisciplinary project that combines poetry, photography, and science. The initiative explores the personal and professional lives of scientists, using poetry as a medium to make complex scientific ideas accessible and emotionally resonant. Sariñana emphasizes how the project bridges gaps between abstract scientific concepts and human experiences, inspired by James Baldwin’s reflections on art and truth.

Joshua Sariñana, PhD ’11, merges his expertise in neuroscience, photography, and storytelling in The Poetry of Science, a public art installation advocating for racial and social justice. Supported by a Cambridge Arts Council Art for Racial Justice Grant, this multimedia project pairs scientists of color with poets of color to create collaborative works that celebrate their contributions and amplify their voices. Through portraits by Vanessa Leroy and poetry inspired by the scientists’ work, the project fosters a deeper understanding of science and promotes positive associations with communities of color.

The Poetry of Science, in collaboration with The Peoples' heART, is a project that utilizes art to address health equity and representation in medical institutions like the Massachusetts General Hospital.

In response to systemic racism and the lack of representation of people of color (POC) in media and art, Joshua Sariñana, PhD, co-created The Poetry of Science with poet and editor Linsey Jayne. This multidisciplinary project combines poetry and photography to amplify the voices and experiences of POC, countering negative stereotypes with positive representations. Read the Article»

Joshua Sariñana, PhD, and Linsey Jayne, debuted their project, The Poetry of Science, at Lit Crawl Boston 2021. This initiative pairs local poets of color with scientists of color to address racial disparities in both fields while showcasing the profound connections between the sciences and the humanities. Poets collaborated with scientists in fields like quantum mechanics, radiology, and social robotics to craft original poetry inspired by their research, motivations, and personal stories. At the event, each poet presented one poem as a demonstration of their partnership and the creative synergies between poetry and science. Read the Interview >

My photographic series Prosopagnosia was selected for inclusion in the Grand Annual Exhibition of Portraits at the Altes Pumpenhaus in Dresden, Germany, and as part of the Hellerau Photography Award. This group exhibition featured 34 international artists.

In a conversation with Michael Kirchoff, Joshua Sariñana discusses the intersection of neuroscience and photography, revealing how his dual background informs his creative process.

Joshua Sariñana presented at the Science Gallery Museum and Trinity College, Dublin, as part of the Neurohumanities Public Lecture series. His lecture, Interrogating Science and Art Through Neuroscience and Photography, explored the intersections of neuroscience, photography, and art to investigate how visual perception transforms from sensory input into emotional and contextual meaning.

L’Œil de la Photographie published Joshua Sariñana’s photographic series Representation of Hidden Communication. This series explores the visual and conceptual intersections between science, technology, and perception, focusing on the often unseen networks of communication embedded in research environments.

Joshua Sariñana’s photographic series, Representation of Hidden Communication, has been selected for Photolucida’s Critical Mass Top 200 Award, a prestigious recognition in contemporary photography.

Joshua Sariñana’s photographic series Representation of Hidden Communication was featured in Silvershotz Magazine, Volume 11, Edition 11, 2017. Known for curating exceptional contemporary photography portfolios, Silvershotz provides an international platform for conceptual and experimental work.

Representation of Hidden Communication was featured on VSCO New, spotlighting a visual narrative rooted in my time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The project documents the often unseen, intricate world of neuroscience research through portraits of my colleagues and the lab environments we worked in.

Joshua Sariñana’s photographic series Prosopagnosia was exhibited at The Griffin@Digital Silver Imaging, a satellite gallery of The Griffin Museum of Photography, from October 4 to December 1, 2016. This deeply personal collection explores themes of memory, identity, and emotion through imagery that reflects on Sariñana’s early adulthood experiences of love, wonder, and isolation. Using circular, telescopic frames as a metaphor for fragmented memory, the series confronts the inaccuracies of recollection, revealing how memories evolve each time they are recalled.